Illuminated advertising apparatus.



PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

A. STUMM.

ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY I 1904.

NiTnD STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

' ALEXANDER STUMM, OF OFFENBURG, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO SIMMLER 8s VENATOR, OF OFFENBURG, GERMANY, A FIRM.

ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING APPARATU S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 778,916, dated January Application filed July 1, 1904. Serial No. 214,916.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER STUMM, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Ofienburg, Badenia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Advertising Apparatus; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an advertising apparatus presenting a translucent surface exhibiting figures, pictures, or the like, at the rear of which compartments are located, by

the illuminations of selections of which in succession the figure or picture is caused to appear animated.

For the purpose of rendering my invention clearly comprehensible I will now proceed, by way of example, to describe one particular form of my apparatus,.consisting of a glass surface upon which is painted the figure of a clown, incandescent electric lamps being located behind the same in such manner that by switching them on and off in predetermined succession the clown is apparently rendered animate.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the painted glass plate suitably framed. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the apparatus, the front plate being removed. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line A B of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 illustrates one. of the positions assumed by the apparently animated clown, due to light effects.

m is a sheet of ornamental or plain glass on the back of which the figure of the clown is painted in colors inany suitable manner. The painted portions of the plate are translucent, while the ground surrounding the same that is, the background of the picture-is perfectly opaque. Behind this glass sheet or pane is arranged the illuminating apparatus in the form of groups of incandescent lamps, the switching apparatus, by means of which the lamps are cut in and out as required, being located behind the back Wall of the entire advertising device or fixed in any other suitable place.

t represents sockets or the like through which the conductors are led to the lamps.

As of the entire picture at any given moment only a part is to be seen by the spectator, such part, moreover, continually changing, the refiector-case is divided into compartments by thin partition-walls Each such compartment a Z) 0 d is lined with polished metal or other reflecting-surfaces and fitted with lamps l 2 3.

In front of the plate at on which the picture is painted and at a moderate distance therefrom is a plate of white cathedral-glass 70, whereby the artistic efiect of the picture during illumination is increased. When not 5 illuminated, only faint outlines of the picture are visible for the purpose of exciting the curiosity of the public, which will be all the more the case since all the various positions are seen at once, rendering the whole picture ob- 7 scure,

The complete apparatus is inclosed in a dust-tight case provided with apertures o for ventilation. The lamps may be switched on and off by hand, by clockwork, by the mechanism of a music-box, or by small electric motors which set the switch in operation in such manner that the various portions of the picture are illuminated in any desired succession.

By means of this apparatus the painted clown may be rendered apparently animate, inasmuch as he will first appear in a stationary position, then be seen to take off his hat, then to raise it, play ball with it, and finally 5 again lower it and make a bow. For this purpose behind the main portions of the figure, which are to be illuminated independently of each other, compartments (0 b 0 (Z, Fig. 2, are provided, corresponding to the location of the 9 portions (0 I) c d of the figure in Fig. 1. If then of the entire figure only the figure of the .stationary clown is to appear, by means of the commutator the lamps 1 to 8 are cut in. In

this manner in front of the compartment (0 the body of the clown is illuminated, in front of the compartment 7) his head, in front of his hat, at d one arm, and at f the other arm. If the clown is to appear as taking off his hat to the public, lamp 6 must be cut out and lamp 9 switched in.

In view of the sharp division of the various positions, it is necessary in many instances to make the partitions of zigzag or irregular form. The lamps 10 and 11 can then be switched in in succession, 7 and 9 being cut out, so that the hat appears to be thrown into the air with the right elevated hand. If the hat is to appear thrown from one hand to the other, the lamp 12 must be cut in and 8 and 11 cut out. To cause the clown to bow to the public, compartments (0 d c f are illuminated, and by switching in the lamp 13 the painted head at the breast of the figure will be illuminated. Specially attractive light effects will be obtained by this arrangement if the throwing of the hat from one hand to the other is repeated a number of times.

Instead of a clown, as described, it is obvious that any other figure, picture, or the like may be selected provided it is not too small-for instance, pictures of animals. In

the same manner flowers may be seen to grow,

bloom, change color, and wither.

What 1 claim is- 1. Advertising apparatus, comprising a partly-translucent and partly-opaque surface displaying a pictorial representation, compartments located behind the translucent portions of said representation, each corresp0nding with a certain portion thereof, and means for illuminating the compartments in any desired successive selections, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Advertising apparatus, comprising a partly-translucent and partly-opaque surface displaying a pictorial representation, compartments, each corresponding with a certain portionof said representation, located behind the latter, means for illuminating the compartments in any desired succession, and a pane of cathedral-glass located in front of the translucent surface, for the purpose of heightening the efiect by distribution of light, substantially as set forth.

3. Advertising apparatus, comprising a partly-translucent and partly-opaque surface displaying a pictorial representation, compartments, each corresponding with a certain portion of the representation, located behind the translucent portions of the representation, incandescent electric lamps fitted in the compartments, and means for switching the various lamps on and off, so as to illuminate the compartments in any desired successive selections, substantially as described,

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in pres ence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER STUMMQ Witnesses:

JOSEPH Bowman, 7 GUsTAv Scnwniss. 

